Mi Huaquan: The Generative Logic, Core Essentials, and Practical Approaches of Xi Jinping’s Important Expositions on Data Development and Security
As the digital economy in our country deepens, the value of data as a new type of productive factor has become increasingly prominent. Its role in various stages of social production, distribution, circulation, and consumption is growing more significant, and it has become an essential factor in promoting high-quality development. However, alongside the widespread penetration of data applications, the security challenges brought by data development have also become increasingly complex and urgent. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party clearly pointed out the need to "accelerate the establishment of systems for the determination of data property rights, market transactions, distribution of rights and interests, and protection of interests; enhance data security governance and supervision capabilities; and establish an efficient, convenient, and secure mechanism for cross-border data flow." This strategic deployment provides direction for coordinating data development and security and promoting the high-quality development of the digital economy, steering our country's digital economy development from local breakthroughs toward systematic integration, and from scale expansion toward a new stage of quality enhancement. Since the beginning of the New Era, Xi Jinping has consistently attached great importance to data development and security. He has delivered numerous important speeches, issued significant instructions, and presided over the 26th meeting of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform to conduct a special study on the construction of basic data systems. From the early proposal to "use data to advance all work," to the emphasis on "breaking through core big data technologies," to the clear mandate to "build a digital economy with data as a key factor," a series of forward-looking and systematic strategic thoughts have been formed, providing the fundamental adherence for our work in data development and security. Systematically organizing Xi Jinping’s important expositions on data development and security to deeply understand their generative logic, core tenets, and practical paths is not only an urgent need for theoretical research but also a realistic requirement for solidly advancing the modernization of data governance, fortifying the national data security barrier, and fully releasing the value of data as a factor.
I. The Generative Logic of Xi Jinping’s Important Expositions on Data Development and Security
Xi Jinping’s important expositions on data development and security constitute a scientific theoretical system formed by conforming to the major trend of the evolution of digital civilization and grounding itself in the new historical position of our country’s development. This system answers fundamental questions regarding the reasons, path choices, and institutional safeguards for promoting data development and maintaining data security. It represents a major theoretical achievement of the combination of Marxism with China’s practice of digitalization. It is based on the upholding of fundamentals and breaking new ground in Marxist theory, deeply embedded in the grand background of the intertwining and turbulence of the "two overall situations" [1], and focused on resolving practical difficulties in the process of modernizing national governance while responding to the complex situation of global digital competition. It systematically explains the key role of data as a new type of productive factor and the dialectical relationship between coordinating development and security, providing the basic adherence and action guide for developing the digital economy and building a Digital China.
1. Theoretical Logic: Rooted in the Fertile Intellectual Soil of the Basic Principles of Marxism
Xi Jinping’s important expositions on data development and security possess deep theoretical roots, manifested in the creative application of the basic principles of Marxism. The core lies in incorporating "data" as a new type of factor into the analytical horizon of Marxist theory, systematically responding to a series of major questions of the times triggered by data—such as leaps in productive forces, adjustments in the relations of production, and transformations in the superstructure—and putting forward many original theoretical judgments.
First, these important expositions achieve a major innovation in the Marxist theory of productive factors, clarifying the strategic positioning of data as a new type of productive factor. Marxist political economy emphasizes that labor, land, and capital are the basic factors of social production; as practice developed, our Party successively incorporated technology and management into the category of factors. Entering the New Era, data has integrated into the entire process of economic activities—production, distribution, circulation, and consumption—with unprecedented scale and depth, gradually becoming the core force driving economic and social development. Xi Jinping, with great foresight, proposed the need to "build a digital economy with data as a key factor," emphasizing that "data is a new productive factor, a foundational and strategic resource, and also an important productive force." This judgment is not merely a simple expansion of the traditional system of productive factors but is a strategic assessment built upon a profound grasp of the inherent characteristics of data. Data possesses characteristics such as non-rivalry, reproducibility, infinite derivativity, and high synergy, which can significantly improve the allocation efficiency of other factors, give birth to new business forms and models, and even restructure the entire national economic system. Establishing data as a key productive factor greatly expands the contemporary connotation and practical extension of the Marxist theory of productive forces, providing solid theoretical support for our scientific understanding and effective guidance of digital economy development.
Second, these important expositions profoundly reflect the basic law of Marxism regarding the contradictory movement between productive forces and relations of production, elucidating the dialectical thinking of coordinating development and security. From a Marxist perspective, the development of productive forces inevitably requires corresponding changes in the relations of production; the contradiction between the two constitutes the fundamental driving force of social progress. As one of the most representative new productive factors of the current era, the explosive growth of data is profoundly impacting existing relations of production, social structures, and governance systems. On the one hand, the free flow and open sharing of data have greatly liberated and developed social productive forces; this is the core tenet of its "development." Xi Jinping accurately grasped this contradiction, emphasizing the need to "promote the efficient circulation and use of data to empower the real economy." On the other hand, the concentration, monopoly, and abuse of data may trigger the disorderly expansion of capital, exacerbate the gap between rich and poor, infringe upon personal privacy, and damage social equity, even endangering national sovereignty and security. These are precisely the concrete manifestations of the relations of production failing to adapt to the development of productive forces, and they highlight the severity of security issues. Xi Jinping has pointed out many times the need to "properly handle the relationship between security and development" and to "ensure development through security and promote security through development." This concept of coordination is a vivid manifestation of Marxist dialectics in the digital age, surpassing the one-sided thinking of "technology-only" or "security-only" and demonstrating dialectical thinking in actively adjusting the relations of production while releasing data productive forces.
Finally, these important expositions innovatively apply the principle of the dialectical relationship between the economic base and the superstructure in Marxism, sketching a grand blueprint for advancing the modernization of national governance in the digital age. Marxism holds that the economic base determines the superstructure, while the superstructure exerts a counter-reaction on the economic base. The digital economy, with data at its core, is profoundly changing social structures and operational mechanisms, requiring that the national governance system and governance capacity undergo a series of corresponding transformations. Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must be good at using technology, speed up the construction of smart cities, and use big data and other information technologies to promote innovation in government management and social governance models." This essentially uses the Marxist theory of the state to respond to the question of the times: "What kind of great modern socialist country should be built, and how should it be built?" concurrently in the digital age. At the same time, he also emphasized the need to "effectively guarantee national data security," "strengthen the protection capacity of national key data resources," and "improve the data property rights protection system," clarifying the realistic need for the legal and institutional systems—as the superstructure—to actively adapt to the requirements of digital economy development. It can be said that from the grassroots exploration of "Digital Fujian" [2] to the top-level planning of "Digital China," and then to the strategic deployment of a "cyber powerhouse," the series of important expositions made by Xi Jinping around data empowering national governance have enriched and developed the principle of the dialectical relationship between the economic base and the superstructure, opening a new practical path for the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity.
2. Historical Logic: Focused on the Epochal and Inevitable Requirement of Cultivating and Developing New Quality Productive Forces
The birth of any major theory is inseparable from the grand historical background in which it is situated. The historical logic of Xi Jinping’s important expositions on data development and security is embedded within three historical coordinates: the wave of the global technological revolution, the journey toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the deepening of our Party’s understanding of the laws of modernization. It precisely echoes the urgent and major task of the times: cultivating and developing new quality productive forces.
First, this represents historical consciousness in the face of the changes unseen in a century, proactively seizing the commanding heights of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. Looking back at history, every industrial revolution has reshaped the production and lifestyles of human society and redefined the pattern of international competition. This was true from the improvement of the steam engine to the use of electricity and information technology. In modern times, our country several times missed the opportunities for technological and industrial revolution, leaving behind painful historical lessons. Today, we stand at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution, represented by artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT), and data has become the key core factor driving this transformation. Xi Jinping pointed out that "a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is restructuring the global innovation landscape and reshaping the global economic structure," emphasizing that "we cannot fall behind in this great arena of technological innovation; we must catch up, race forward, and strive to surpass." This major judgment demonstrates his profound insight and strong awareness of opportunity. Xi Jinping’s elevation of data to the height of a national strategic resource and the deployment of the National Big Data Strategy are precisely based on a profound summation of historical laws and a scientific prediction of future trends. In short, by grasping data as the "key variable," our country hopes to form asymmetric competitive advantages in emerging tracks and achieve a historic leap from following and running alongside others to leading the way.
Second, this is a historical necessity for our country as it embarks on the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and promoting high-quality development. In the more than 40 years of reform and opening up, our country’s economic and social development has achieved world-renowned achievements. At the same time, however, the momentum of the traditional development model is gradually weakening, resource and environmental constraints continue to tighten, and key core technologies face a series of "bottleneck" [3] risks. Driving the transformation of the momentum of the economic development mode has become the theme and main line of our country’s economic and social development for the current and future period. Developing new quality productive forces has become the "inherent requirement and important focus for promoting high-quality development." The core connotation of the new quality productive forces proposed by Xi Jinping is manifested in revolutionary technological breakthroughs, the innovative allocation of productive factors, and the deep transformation and upgrading of industries. In this process, data plays a vital role as both "glue" and "accelerator." Through the innovative allocation of data, bottlenecks in the flow of traditional factors can be cleared and total factor productivity can be improved. Through the deep integration of data with traditional industries, a series of new business forms such as intelligent manufacturing, smart agriculture, and modern services can be birthed, promoting industrial digital transformation and a leap to the high end of the value chain. Based on large-scale data accumulation and innovative breakthroughs in AI technology, new quality productive forces possess a tremendous core driving power. Xi Jinping further pointed out the need to "promote the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy" and "accelerate industrial digitalization and intelligent transformation." These important expositions provide the correct direction for how to cultivate and develop new quality productive forces while also enabling our country’s economy to achieve high-quality development in the new stage of development by "transforming modes, adjusting structures, and increasing momentum."
Finally, this is a systematic summation of our Party’s experience in governing the country and a sublimation of the deepening understanding of the laws of the Communist Party’s governance. In the great practice of leading revolution, construction, and reform, our Party has always taken the liberation and development of productive forces as a major political task and an important cornerstone for governing and rejuvenating the country. From the scientific judgment that "science and technology are the primary productive forces" to the implementation of the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country through talent, and the innovation-driven development strategy, and now to the clear proposal of cultivating and developing new quality productive forces—this process clearly reflects that our Party’s understanding of the laws of development of productive forces is both a continuous lineage and one that advances with the times. Xi Jinping’s important expositions on data development and security are the latest theoretical achievements of this historical process. More importantly, Xi Jinping does not discuss data purely from a technological dimension; rather, he closely integrates data development with national security, people’s happiness, and institutional advantages. He emphasizes that "without cybersecurity, there is no national security," that the protection of personal information and the maintenance of social stability must be fully guaranteed, and advocates for giving full play to the advantages of the socialist system in mobilizing resources to accomplish major undertakings to "resolutely win the battle for key core technologies." This indicates that in the process of leading digital development, our Party emphasizes not only technological leaps at the level of "instruments" but also institutional construction at the level of "systems" and the people-centered position at the level of "values." This governance concept—which coordinates development and security, technology and humanity, efficiency and equity—is an innovative expansion of the Marxist theory on the building of a governing party and marks a new height in our Party’s understanding of the laws of governance in the information age.
3. Realistic Logic: A Great Strategic Choice Made in Response to the Modernization of National Governance and the New Situation of Global Competition
The vitality of a theory lies in its ability to explain reality and guide practice. The third dimension of the generative logic of Xi Jinping's important discourses on data development and security is precisely the "logic of reality," which is rooted in the present and confronts existing problems. This logic profoundly grasps the complex domestic and international situations facing China in the New Era, striving to break through development bottlenecks, prevent and defuse major risks, and seize the strategic initiative for the future. It demonstrates a distinct problem-oriented approach and practical character.
First, this is an urgent need to modernize the national governance system and governance capacity. Alongside the profound transformation of China's economic and social structures, traditional experience-based governance models have struggled to adapt to the "new normal" characterized by large-scale population mobility, diverse and fragmented interest patterns, and intersecting types of risk. How to improve the efficiency of public service management, achieve precision in social governance, and respond effectively to major emergencies has become a practical issue that China must face seriously. Data resources and their technical applications provide us with unprecedentedly powerful support for resolving these dilemmas. Xi Jinping explicitly pointed out: "We must use big data to improve the level of modernization of national governance." In recent years, by building digital government, breaking down data silos, and optimizing approval processes, China has significantly enhanced administrative efficiency. Through the construction of smart cities and digital villages, the country has forcefully promoted the precision, universality, and equalization of services related to people's livelihoods. Through big data monitoring and analysis, ecological and environmental governance has been continuously strengthened, achieving the "intelligent guardianship" of "lush mountains and lucid waters" [4]. All this indicates that Xi Jinping's important discourses on data development and security are dedicated to comprehensively enhancing the Party's governing capacity and national governance efficiency through digital technology, ensuring that the great ship of Chinese-path modernization sails steadily through winds and waves. This fully demonstrates our Party's continuous deepening of its understanding of the laws of Communist Party governance, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of human social development.
Second, this is an inevitable requirement for fortifying the overall national security barrier and preventing or defusing major risks and challenges. Entering the New Era, the security threats and risk forms facing China have become more complex and diverse. Xi Jinping creatively proposed the Holistic Approach to National Security, emphasizing the need to "achieve integrated governance of traditional and non-traditional security." In the wave of digitalization, data security has become the core hub of national security, deeply integrated into political, economic, military, cultural, and social fields. For example, in safeguarding national sovereignty and political security, he has repeatedly emphasized the need to "fortify the national cyber security barrier" and resolutely defend data sovereignty and the right to speak [5] in cyberspace. He pointed out that "the Internet has increasingly become the main position, main battlefield, and front line of ideological struggle." Critical information infrastructure is like the national neural center; once destroyed, it will lead to incalculable consequences. In terms of ensuring economic and financial stability, he regards industrial data, financial data, and supply chain data as the "blood" of economic operations, believing their security is directly related to national industrial security and the economic lifeline. He explicitly demanded the prevention of data monopolies, the "curbing of the disorderly expansion of capital," and a severe crackdown on the "black industry chain" of data. Regarding the protection of citizens' personal information rights, he personally planned, deployed, and promoted the promulgation and implementation of the Cybersecurity Law of the People's Republic of China, the Data Security Law of the People's Republic of China, and the Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, laying a solid legal foundation for data exploitation and security protection. In short, Xi Jinping's important discourses on data development and security, grounded in the broad perspective of the Holistic Approach to National Security, represent a strategic combination systematically deployed to address new types of risks in the digital age, aiming to build a solid "Digital Great Wall" for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Finally, this is a strategic blueprint for deeply participating in global data governance and shaping new advantages in international competition favorable to China. Currently, global competition in key areas such as data rules, technical standards, and data sovereignty is becoming increasingly fierce. Western countries, utilizing their first-mover advantage in technology, attempt to build exclusive digital barriers and promote so-called "data hegemonism." As a responsible new digital power, China must both firmly safeguard its own development rights and interests and contribute Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the future development of global digital space. First, we must firmly grasp the initiative of development. Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Key core technologies cannot be asked for, bought, or begged for"; we must accelerate the independent innovation of core technologies. Only by achieving true self-reliance and self-strengthening in key fields such as high-end chips, operating systems, and databases can we remain invincible in the fierce international competition. Second, we must continuously enhance our international right to speak and our power to set rules. China possesses the advantage of a super-large market and rich data application scenarios, which provides a solid foundation for participating in and leading global data governance. The Global Data Security Initiative, advocated and launched by China, explicitly proposes the construction of a community with a shared future in cyberspace and promotes the establishment of a more fair, reasonable, inclusive, and beneficial global data governance system. Third, we must actively serve the New Development Paradigm. By promoting the construction of the "Digital Silk Road" and driving data resources and digital technology to "go global," China has not only promoted the export of related industries and technologies but also deepened digital cooperation with countries co-building the "Belt and Road." By using data flows to drive the interconnection of technology, capital, and talent, China has injected powerful momentum into smoothing the "dual circulation" of domestic and international markets.
II. The Core Tenets of Xi Jinping's Important Discourses on Data Development and Security
As an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Xi Jinping's important discourses on data development and security possess rich theoretical connotations, a forward-looking strategic vision, and profound guiding significance. They profoundly answer the major question: "Why must we strengthen data development and security, and how should we do so?" The entire body of these important discourses unfolds by clarifying the functional positioning, target orientation, main content, and international propositions of data development and security. It places the maintenance of data development and security in a position of importance while also pointing out the developmental principle of "data for the people." It emphasizes the dialectical nature of the collaborative advancement of data development and security while highlighting the necessity of international and domestic exchange and cooperation.
1. Functional Positioning: Coordinating Data Development and Security Is the Innovation Engine for Promoting Economic and Social Development
In today’s world of rapid development in information, digital, and intelligent technologies, data has become a core strategic resource driving economic and social development. Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out the need to "leverage the role of data as a basic resource and an innovation engine, and accelerate the formation of a digital economy with innovation as the main driver and support."
From the perspective of data development ensuring the sustained recovery and improvement of the economy, as a key factor of production, data can not only promote the innovation and dissemination of knowledge—giving birth to new knowledge and gestating new technologies—but also optimize the intensive allocation of scientific and technological innovation resources. It effectively reduces information interaction barriers and factor flow costs, driving various innovation factors to aggregate in high-tech, high-efficiency, and high-quality fields. At the same time, data significantly enhances comprehensive industrial innovation capacity, accelerates the two-way integration of digital industrialization and industrial digitalization, and strengthens the collaborative development efficiency of traditional and high-tech industries. This injects strong momentum into building a modern economic system and nurturing new quality productive forces. Entering the New Era, China's economy is shifting from extensive growth to high-quality development; industrial structural adjustment has entered "deep water," and the transformation of the economic structure is facing "labor pains." At this critical stage, the digital economy—with data as its key driving force—provides important support for stabilizing the overall economic situation, reshaping the momentum of traditional industries, and laying out new industrial formats, thanks to its strong innovation vitality, deep integration, and wide coverage. The National Data Resource Survey Report (2024), released by the National Data Bureau, shows that "in 2024, the national data production reached 41.06 zettabytes (ZB), a year-on-year increase of 25%." Regarding data storage, "the total national data storage was 2.09 zettabytes (ZB), a year-on-year increase of 20.81%, with a storage space utilization rate of 61%." The simultaneous increase in data production and storage has formed a virtuous cycle: "data circulation promotes production increase — production increase drives data storage — data storage assists data circulation." This has laid the foundation for the integrated development of the digital economy and the real economy.
From the perspective of data security ensuring the survival of long-term economic vitality, the global economy currently faces multiple challenges. Factors such as insufficient consumption capacity, China-US trade friction, and the continuous decline in birth rates have led to weak effective demand in traditional industries. The stability of supply chains and industrial chains has been severely impacted, and the internal and external environments for the real economy have become more severe. Against the backdrop of increasing downward pressure on the economy, the digital economy—through the efficient integration and comprehensive analysis of data resources—can quickly identify gaps between market supply and demand, achieve comprehensive adjustments to the market structure, and optimize layout. This injects new development momentum into stimulating consumption potential and stabilizing economic growth. Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Information resources have increasingly become important factors of production and social wealth, and the amount of information possessed has become an important mark of national soft power and competitiveness." This important discourse not only clarifies the vital role of data resources in promoting high-quality economic development but also profoundly elucidates that mastering data advantages and fortifying data security barriers have become key indicators for measuring comprehensive national strength. On April 15, 2014, at the first meeting of the Central National Security Commission, Xi Jinping first proposed the Holistic Approach to National Security and included data security within its systematic exposition. On June 22, 2022, while presiding over the 26th meeting of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, Xi Jinping emphasized: "The construction of basic data systems concerns the overall situation of national development and security; we must maintain national data security." This requires that while proceeding with data exploitation and utilization, we must attach great importance to the significance of data security. Currently, China's economy is in an important stage of shifting gears in growth rate and optimizing structure. Traditional industries face the dual pressure of resource constraints and overcapacity, urgently needing to achieve a transition of developmental momentum by forward-looking layouts in strategic emerging industries and future industries. To this end, we must effectively fortify the data security line of defense, promote the deep integration of data with other factors of production, fully release the powerful momentum of data in promoting high-quality economic development, and continuously expand the digital space for the development of new quality productive forces.
2. Value Position: Coordinating Data Development and Security Must Use Improving People's Wellbeing as the Target Orientation
While the widespread application of data brings great convenience to people's lives, it is also accompanied by a series of new challenges arising from data abuse and leakage. The key to how we wield data lies in what development position and security concepts we uphold. The series of important discourses made by Xi Jinping regarding data development and security profoundly clarify the fundamental and directional questions of "for whom is development" and "for whom is security."
Adhering to the "data for the people" position is an essential requirement of the socialist system. The original aspiration and founding mission of the Communist Party of China is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. The people-centered development philosophy is the core value orientation and essential pursuit of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The fundamental goal of promoting data development and fortifying security barriers is by no means mere technological evolution or economic growth. Rather, it is to leverage the powerful empowering role of data in improving the modernization of social governance, facilitating the daily lives of the masses, optimizing grassroots "grid management," and driving the smart operation of cities, for the ultimate benefit of all people. Whether data can truly be transformed into a tool for improving people's wellbeing depends, in the final analysis, on who controls the data and whom it serves. Under the capitalist system, the dominant power over data technology is held by the bourgeoisie. The primary goal of data exploitation and application is the pursuit of excess surplus value and the consolidation of capital power, rather than improving overall social welfare or promoting the comprehensive development of human beings. This monopolistic control over data resources exacerbates the concentration of social wealth in the hands of a few, erodes social fairness, and even becomes a structural barrier to achieving common prosperity. In sharp contrast, in socialist China, the starting point and ultimate goal of developing scientific technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence is always to meet the people's needs for a better life to the greatest extent possible, providing solid support for the realization of the free and comprehensive development of human beings. This institutional advantage ensures that data resources can truly be used by the people and for the benefit of the people.
Promoting data development and security must take satisfying the people's needs for a better life as the starting point and ultimate goal. The report to the 19th CPC National Congress clearly pointed out that the principal contradiction in Chinese society has been transformed into...
"...the contradiction between the ever-growing needs of the people for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development" [6]. This major judgment profoundly reveals that the level of the masses' demands has shifted from the basic guarantee of "whether or not something exists" to the pursuit of high-quality experiences of "whether or not it is good." To satisfy the urgent needs of high-quality development, it is imperative to activate the potential of data as a factor of production. The advantages of data—such as its high connectivity, rapid transmission, and powerful integration—are profoundly changing the way society operates, providing a strong guarantee for improving the quality of life for the masses. Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized: "We must adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, promote 'Internet plus education,' 'Internet plus healthcare,' 'Internet plus culture,' etc., so that the people have to run fewer errands while data travels more through the wires [7], and continuously improve the level of equalization, universal benefit, and convenience of public services." This requires Party committees (Party leadership groups), governments, and social organizations at all levels to always keep the people in the highest position in their hearts when promoting work related to data development and security.
At the same time, Xi Jinping attaches great importance to fairness and justice in the digital age, regarding the elimination of the "digital divide" as an important measure to guarantee people's wellbeing and promote balanced social development. He has clearly pointed out that we must "accelerate the construction of information infrastructure and the popularization of information services, with a focus on impoverished areas and border areas inhabited by ethnic minorities." By tilting resource allocation and making up for shortcomings in digital infrastructure, we can ensure that the masses in these regions also share equally in the dividends of data development. This not only demonstrates Xi Jinping's profound grasp of the unbalanced and inadequate nature of data development but also reflects his deep concern for the masses in difficult and special regions. In essence, whether by leveraging data advantages to improve the convenience of daily life or by protecting the developmental rights and interests of specific regions, a distinct people-centered standpoint is manifested.
3. Core Theme: Adhering to the Basic Principle of Synergistic Promotion in Coordinating Data Development and Security
Data development is an important foundation for data security; only by achieving the full development of data can we provide solid technical and resource support for maintaining data security and driving continuous innovation and application of data security protection technologies. At the same time, data security is the fundamental prerequisite for data development; only under conditions where security is fully guaranteed can data effectively resist various threats and damage during the development process, achieving healthy and sustainable development.
On one hand, we must maintain data security to guarantee data development. Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must handle the relationship between security and development well, ensuring they are coordinated and advance together, using security to safeguard development and development to promote security." Data security concerns not only the collection, utilization, and protection of data itself but is also closely linked to national sovereignty, security, and development interests; it must be given high priority. From a strategic perspective, building a strong data security barrier helps us seize the initiative in the global digital competition landscape, advance the construction of a Digital China, better serve economic and social development and the improvement of people’s livelihoods, and effectively enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security. The root of current risks and challenges in the field of data security does not lie in data technology itself, but rather stems more from the disorderly expansion of capital. Marx profoundly pointed out in Capital long ago that capital possesses an inherent impulse to continuously pursue valorization and break through boundaries: "With the extension of capitalist production, the scientific element is for the first time consciously and widely developed, applied, and manifested in life on a scale of which previous epochs had not the remotest conception." In contemporary environments, whether it is the theft of private personal information or the leakage of sensitive national data, the root causes are inseparable from the profit-seeking nature of capital. Therefore, the core of maintaining data security lies in achieving comprehensive protection and scientific governance throughout its entire life cycle. Based on this, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has focused on improving the institutional system for data security, issuing a series of laws and regulations related to data security. These have both strengthened the rule-of-law guarantees and government supervision of data processing flows and laid a solid legal foundation for the efficient circulation and innovative application of data.
On the other hand, we must better maintain data security while promoting data development. Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee of security." In all work promoting the development and utilization of data resources, we must always place security guarantees in a prominent position, correctly grasping and properly handling key issues such as the definition of data property rights, circulation and transaction, benefit distribution, and security governance. We must "adhere to the path of governing the internet with Chinese characteristics, and persist in coordinating development and security," accelerating the construction of a basic institutional system for data development and security that conforms to our national conditions. Only by placing the ensurance of data security and the promotion of data development in equally important strategic positions can we fully leverage the role of data as a factor of production in building security barriers and driving high-quality economic development.
4. International Advocacy: Coordinating Data Development and Security to Jointly Build a Digital Community with a Shared Future
In today's surging global digital wave, data flows increasingly fast through networks and platforms, profoundly changing the organizational forms and rule systems of international economic development and bringing brand-new opportunities for economic globalization. At the same time, influenced by factors such as technological monopolies, development gaps, and the over-generalization of security concepts, global data governance also faces severe risks and challenges, with realistic concerns such as "North-South imbalances" and fragmented governance. In response to this situation, Xi Jinping clearly proposed: "We must follow the development trends of digitalization, networking, and intelligence, making joint efforts to eliminate the 'digital divide' and boost the digitalization process of service trade."
On one hand, we must bridge the digital divide on the basis of respecting the data sovereignty of different countries and regions. With the rapid development of network information technology, all countries in the world have increasingly become a community with a shared future where we rise and fall together and depend on one another. With its characteristics of efficient flow and deep interconnection, data is continuously strengthening the ties between countries in areas such as economic and trade cooperation, mutual learning in governance, and cultural exchanges, pushing international collaboration to break through traditional boundaries toward deeper levels of synergy and broader integration. Win-win collaboration has become the irreversible mainstream of the era of economic globalization. However, Western countries represented by the United States are vigorously pursuing digital colonialism and digital hegemonism globally through means such as "digital technical assistance," implementing unilateral control over the critical data resources and digital spaces of many countries. Large American multinational digital technology companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon currently occupy more than 90% of the global internet market, forming a highly concentrated market structure. In contrast, many developing countries, due to weak digital technology foundations and insufficient innovation capabilities, lag significantly behind in the digital transformation of their economies and industries, facing severe risks of "data marginalization." Furthermore, the "winner-takes-all" logic pursued by Western digital capitalism further exacerbates structural contradictions such as unbalanced digital development and uneven technical resources between countries. Faced with the practical predicaments of global data governance, Xi Jinping clearly pointed out that China is willing to work with the international community to jointly build data security and promote common development, "using 'data governance' [8] to assist in the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, joining hands to build an open and win-win international cooperation pattern in the data field, and promoting the common development and progress of all countries." He emphasized that we should uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, promote data development and security governance through open cooperation under the prerequisite of fully respecting the data sovereignty of all countries, strengthen global mutual trust, connectivity, and the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and together build a more inclusive, fair, and sustainable new order for global data governance, so that data as a factor of production truly benefits people of all countries.
On the other hand, we must promote the joint consultation and determination of rules in the data field through strengthened international exchange and cooperation. In his congratulatory letter to the 4th United Nations World Data Forum, Xi Jinping pointed out that as a firm supporter of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, China will "continuously improve digital infrastructure, establish and improve the basic institutional system for data, strengthen data and statistical capacity building, and actively share China's practices and experiences in monitoring sustainable development goals." From proposing the Global Initiative on Data Security to carrying out transnational cooperation on network communication technology with Gulf countries; from launching the Global Initiative on Data Cross-border Flow Cooperation to building a global scientific literature data platform; from signing the Digital Economy International Cooperation Initiative under the "Belt and Road" Framework and the G20 Digital Innovation Cooperation Action Plan to organizing the 2025 China International Big Data Industry Expo—Xi Jinping has always stood at the height of "seeking a future for humanity and seeking great harmony for the world," [9] advocating active participation in international exchange and cooperation on data issues, contributing Chinese wisdom to solving global problems of data development and security, and providing Chinese solutions for bridging the digital divide and building a fair and inclusive global data governance system.
III. The Practical Path of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourse on Data Development and Security
Doing a good job in data development and security work is a major question of the times that must be answered in promoting the construction of a Digital China. It is directly related to the construction of national security barriers, profoundly connected to the release of economic development momentum, and more closely tied to the immediate interests of the masses. Xi Jinping's important discourse on data development and security has a distinct awareness of problems and a practical orientation. On the basis of a complete and accurate grasp of its generative logic and core essentials, we must focus on improving the systems and mechanisms for the market-based allocation of data as a factor of production, perfecting the data security governance system, and promoting the efficient allocation and safe use of data factors to better serve the overall situation of economic and social development.
1. Adhering to the Party’s Overall Leadership to Ensure Simultaneous Progress of Data Development and Security
The fundamental key to promoting data development and maintaining data security lies in adhering to the Party’s overall leadership. The Party’s overall leadership is the fundamental guarantee for ensuring that data development and security work always proceed in the right direction and practice the value-based concept of creating benefits for the people. The key to handling China's affairs well lies with the Party; "the Party, the government, the military, the people, and the academics, east, west, south, north, and center, the Party leads everything" [10]. Only by adhering to the principle of "the Party managing data" and integrating the Party's leadership into all aspects of data development and security work can we make correct strategic choices based on the general development trends of the era and form complete implementation plans and efficient operating mechanisms.
First, we must firmly grasp the Party's leadership over data development and security work. As a new type of productive factor, data has not only given birth to new forms of the digital economy through deep integration with various social resources, but also "empowered the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and birthed new industries, new formats, and new models" through extensive combination with the real economy, profoundly reshaping social production methods and operating mechanisms and driving total factor productivity to achieve a historic leap. At the same time, we must clearly recognize that China still faces multiple risk challenges in the data field, such as data leakage, abuse, and illegal transactions. We must persist in the Party’s centralized and unified leadership over data development and security work, effectively transforming institutional advantages into governance efficacy to provide a strong political guarantee for the construction of a cyber powerhouse.
Second, we must firmly grasp the Party's initiative in data development and security work. With the in-depth development of information technology, deploying future digital industries in advance and seizing the initiative in economic development have become the focus of a new round of international competition. The 2024 China Data Transaction Market Research and Analysis Report, jointly released by the Shanghai Data Exchange and the National Engineering Laboratory for Big Data Circulation and Transaction Technology, indicates that "China's data transaction market is expected to grow from 153.69 billion RMB in 2023 to 715.9 billion RMB by 2030, demonstrating strong growth momentum and huge market potential." However, the situation remains prominent where China's digital economy is "large but not strong, fast but not optimal." From a global perspective, in 2023, the scale of data transactions in North America reached 56.1 billion USD; although Europe is in a catch-up phase regarding market scale growth rate, its data infrastructure and institutional systems have formed a world-leading advantage, with the market scale expected to increase to 29.3 billion USD by 2025. Compared with the world's major economies, China still has obvious shortcomings in the effective supply of data, advance layout of computing power, smooth circulation channels, and full release of value. Facing new situations and challenges, we must give full play to the Party's leadership as the greatest institutional advantage, enhance strategic initiative, make the first move in development, continuously promote the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy, improve the efficiency of resource allocation for data factors, strengthen the empowering effect of digital industry clusters on new quality productive forces, and accelerate the construction of a sound development pattern where Party building leads the transformation and upgrading of the data industry.
Finally, we must firmly grasp international discourse power regarding data development and security. As the construction of a cyber powerhouse and a Digital China advances deeply, various new business forms and models that boost high-quality development are emerging in profusion. While data elements are profoundly reshaping the economic and social landscape, they also place more urgent demands on China to enhance its international discourse power in data governance. To seize the initiative in global data governance, we must actively participate in international rule-making, strive to break through the Western monopoly in digital technology, and further strengthen China's rights of expression, bargaining power, and rule-setting authority in data governance. This will create a more favorable international environment and external space for promoting our nation's data development and security. To this end, in the process of deepening the integration of data with the real economy, we must innovate the discourse system and communication mechanisms for data development and security, comprehensively enhancing China's international communication capacity and governance influence in the field of data governance, and gradually building an international discourse advantage commensurate with China's status as a digital power.
2. Adhering to a People-Centered Approach to Promote Data-Empowered Common Prosperity for All
Xi Jinping has pointed out that "big data has much to offer in terms of ensuring and improving people's livelihoods." From the "every stroke and line" recorded in the Yan’an caves [11] to today’s "Eastern Data and Western Computing" [12], our Party has always stayed true to the principle and tenet that development is for the people, relies on the people, and its fruits are shared by the people. In the practice of promoting the construction of a Digital China, we must adhere to the fundamental standpoint of putting the people first and fully release the enormous value of data in improving people's well-being and creating a high-quality life.
First, we must promote data to empower new quality productive forces and consolidate the material foundation for common prosperity for all people. We should deeply recognize that "science and technology have never influenced the future and destiny of the country as profoundly as they do today, nor have they ever influenced the well-being of the people as profoundly as they do today." To promote the coordinated development of data progress and security, we must actively explore effective paths for integrating digital technology into the entire process of elevating productive forces. We must empower industrial transformation and upgrading through data, optimize public employment services, and assist high-quality development to build a solid material foundation for the construction of a great modern socialist country. We must utilize data resources to empower technological innovation, continuously give rise to new business forms and models, and unceasingly strengthen, optimize, and expand the digital economy to inject new momentum into high-quality development. Meanwhile, we should give full play to the prominent role of data in breaking down information barriers and optimizing resource allocation, promoting coordinated development between urban and rural areas and regions, broadening employment channels, and increasing the disposable income of residents. We must use data empowerment not only to "make the cake" of economic development bigger but also to "divide the cake" well, ensuring that the fruits of development benefit all people more extensively, fairly, and sustainably, thereby boosting common prosperity for all.
Second, we must establish and perfect the mechanism for data to participate in income distribution, ensuring that development fruits are shared by the people. The just and equal participation of data elements in the distribution of national income not only helps protect data rights and the legitimate interests of individuals but also promotes the healthy and orderly development of the data industry chain and fosters new growth points for fiscal revenue. We must improve income distribution incentive mechanisms based on data value creation; while further enlarging the "cake" of social wealth, we must optimize the income distribution pattern and construct a data element yield distribution system that unifies efficiency and fairness. We must continuously refine the existing data property rights system, clarify the attribution of data ownership, and protect the legitimate yields of data owners. Furthermore, we must strengthen the construction of data security and privacy protection systems, earnestly maintain the circulation security of the full data lifecycle, and promote the standardization, rationalization, and legalization of data transactions. By allowing the market to play its decisive role in resource allocation to price data value reasonably, we can activate the internal vitality of data elements and assist the high-quality development of the digital economy.
Finally, we must implement a development strategy of data-empowered projects for the people's livelihood to promote the free and well-rounded development of the individual. Liberating people from arduous labor and promoting the free and well-rounded development of the individual is the value pursuit of scientific socialism and a basic characteristic of the future communist society. Embedding data, this new type of productive factor, into the systemic restructuring of relations of production requires both promoting the transformation of labor forms from the "separation of simple and complex labor" toward the "deep integration of mental and manual labor," and using technological innovation as a starting point to inject new vitality into the construction of people's livelihoods through precision services and efficient supply. We should apply data to online education, assisted medical care, and employment services. Through the precise matching of big data, we can continuously enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security, creating favorable conditions for the free and well-rounded development of the individual, so that they might "do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon... just as I have a mind" [13], truly escaping the constraints of survival pressure and alienated labor, and allowing the inherent potential of every life to blossom freely.
3. Perfecting the Data Governance Institutional System to Ensure Data Security Risks are Preventable and Controllable
In today's era of explosive data growth, big data is increasingly becoming a key factor influencing people's modes of production, lifestyles, and ways of thinking. The open sharing of data has become an inevitable choice in line with the trend of historical development, but the accompanying data security issues have also become practical difficulties that urgently need to be resolved. We must "establish and improve fundamental systems for data, accelerate the cultivation of a data factor market, and promote the efficient, compliant circulation and use of data elements." Only by organically combining the guarantee of data security, the perfection of institutional construction, and the clarification of yield distribution can we build a secure and efficient protection system for data development, safeguarding the full realization of data element value and its efficient circulation.
First, we must perfect the data governance institutional system and promote the full implementation of responsibilities for data development and security. Data security covers multiple dimensions such as technology, institutions, and rights; we must emphasize both the capacity for technical protection and the perfection of institutional norms and rights protection mechanisms. We should focus on core issues such as the definition of data ownership and the distribution of yields, clarifying the principles of "responsibility lies with the user" and "protection lies with the collector," and promoting the formation of a data governance structure with clear rights and responsibilities, compatible incentives, and effective regulation. By formulating negative lists for data collection and use, we can promote systemic and law-based governance in the data field, using legislation to clearly prohibit or restrict certain types of data collection, particularly drawing strict "red lines" for core data involving state secrets. At the same time, we must standardize personal information management, strictly limit the scope of collection and use, clarify the boundaries of data usage in new technology applications such as cloud computing, blockchain, and generative AI, and earnestly guard against various risks and losses caused by the abuse of personal information.
Second, we must improve the ownership system of data resources and delineate the boundaries of data ownership, usage, and custody for different subjects. Xi Jinping has pointed out the need to "promote the accelerated development of manufacturing toward digitalization, networking, and intelligence, and to improve the stability and modernization level of the industrial and supply chains." To implement this requirement, we must coordinate data development and security, standardize the data disposal and usage behaviors of government departments, enterprises, public institutions, and individuals/organizations, and clarify the rights and responsibilities of all parties in the process of usage to prevent risks such as data abuse or leaks caused by management gaps or boundary-crossing. Based on China's specific realities, we must explore the establishment of a comprehensive data security governance system compatible with the socialist market economy. This means both giving full play to the value of data as a new productive factor and building a bottom line for security during development, achieving a virtuous interaction between data utilization and security guarantees. In response to the prominent problems currently existing in the field of data security, we must value the attribute of data as a productive factor. Through specialized legislation and other means, we must clarify the ownership of data elements and refine the permissions and obligations of all subjects in the storage, use, circulation, and transfer stages, preventing disputes and risks caused by unclear rights and responsibilities from the source, and providing a strong institutional guarantee for building a standardized, efficient, and trustworthy environment for data circulation.
Finally, we must continue to deepen the distribution of data resource benefits and establish a mechanism for rights and interests distribution based on the principle of "security first, development as the priority, and fairness as the foundation." Xi Jinping emphasized the need to "strengthen the protection of critical information infrastructure security, enhance the protection of national key data resources, and improve data security early warning and source-tracing capabilities." To implement the spirit of this instruction, we should focus on the following tasks: First, we must strengthen the awareness that data security is the fundamental prerequisite for achieving yield distribution. Through precise technical protection and standardized social operations, we must ensure safety throughout the data lifecycle and avoid interest disputes caused by data leaks. Second, we must explore the establishment of yield distribution rules based on the degree of data value contribution, clarifying the legal and compliant yields for individuals, enterprises, organizations, governments, and social groups at the economic level. We should prevent the imbalance of rights distribution caused by data monopolies through the dual approach of national taxation and market regulation. Third, we must improve the existing data rights distribution mechanism to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of all parties in the process of value creation are effectively protected. We must both guard against yield imbalances caused by data monopolies and construct a distribution mechanism that emphasizes efficiency in primary distribution, fairness in secondary distribution, and coordination in tertiary distribution, fundamentally stimulating the endogenous motivation of data subjects.
4. Deepening International Exchange and Collaboration to Build a Global Community for Data Development and Security
In Marx's view, exchange and collaboration can not only enhance individual productivity but also create a new productive force, and "this productive force itself is necessarily a collective force." Whether it is material production practice, socio-political practice, or scientific and cultural practice, all require the completion through collaboration between people and between organizations. In the New Era, promoting international exchange and cooperation in the data field must begin by building a multi-dimensional and integrated platform for data exchange, promoting bilateral and multilateral cooperation, constructing regional highlands for data circulation, promoting the sharing of data resources and the release of value, and jointly building a community with a shared future for global data governance.
First, we must respect the differences in data management systems among different countries and increase the inclusiveness and understanding of all parties. Respecting institutional differences is the conceptual foundation for deepening international data exchange and cooperation. Due to different levels of economic development and historical/cultural backgrounds, the data development and security policies, systems, and laws formulated by different countries and regions will inevitably differ. Recognizing and respecting these manifest differences in data governance is not only an important manifestation of adhering to the norms of international engagement based on the UN Charter, but also an inevitable requirement for ensuring data development and security, promoting international cooperation, and achieving mutual benefit and win-win results. Strengthening international data cooperation, empowering the global socio-economic digital transformation, and improving the common well-being of all humanity is a shared mission for all countries; no nation can remain isolated. All parties should build consensus in promoting international data exchange and cooperation, working together to formulate international rules and standards for data development and security that take into account the interests of all parties, and jointly fostering an open, inclusive, fair, and just environment to provide a strong institutional guarantee for the sustainable prosperity of the global digital economy.
Second, we must improve dialogue mechanisms for data governance among all parties and promote consensus on collaborative data governance across different countries and regions. Relying on platforms such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the World Bank, we should actively construct multi-level and institutionalized bilateral and multilateral dialogue channels to deepen communication and collaboration in data development and security. On the basis of fully respecting the opinions and suggestions of all parties, we should promote the formation of global cooperation initiatives for data governance that align with the interests of various countries. We should establish specialized agencies responsible for formulating and revising rules for international data governance cooperation, mediating international disputes, and guiding countries—especially the vast number of developing nations—to adjust and optimize their own data governance policies and systems, ensuring the orderly alignment of rules for cross-border data flow. As the practice of global data governance deepens and evolves, we must also establish normalized and long-term data exchange and dialogue mechanisms. On the basis of adhering to the principle of "extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits," we should promote the formation of a new, standardized, and orderly pattern of data governance.
Finally, we must explore the establishment of negative lists for the cross-border flow of critical data to promote secure and reliable data circulation. Data security is the essential cornerstone of international data cooperation and governance. Exploring the establishment of negative lists for cross-border data flow based on national realities is a vital measure for ensuring the secure and efficient regional flow of data. Establishing negative lists and clearly defining the types of data prohibited from cross-border transmission can both effectively safeguard national data sovereignty and development security and enhance the efficiency of data flow and cooperative governance, promoting deep cooperation and the sustainable development of the digital economy in all countries. In practice, we must formulate scientific and reasonable standards for the hierarchical and categorized classification of data security to ensure that the contents of the list are accurate, comprehensive, and actionable. We must also explore the construction of a dynamic optimization mechanism for the negative list, conducting regular evaluations and timely updates to ensure that negative list management always fits the laws of data technology development and data governance trends, achieving a harmony between data development and security.
Conclusion
The series of important expositions by Xi Jinping on data development and security profoundly grasp the epochal trend of the world's new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. They represent both a scientific inheritance and the innovative development of the basic tenets of Marxism, as well as a scientific program for systematically responding to new global trends in data development and neutralizing new risks to data security. Centering on major issues such as the functional positioning, value orientation, and basic principles of data development and security work, as well as the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity in the digital realm, these important expositions have formed a theoretical system with rich connotations, rigorous logic, and systemic integrity.
From a theoretical dimension, these expositions—through a series of original theoretical achievements—enrich and develop Marxist productive forces theory, demonstrating the contemporary value of scientific truth. From a practical dimension, these expositions point out the direction forward and provide the fundamental basis for promoting the sustained and healthy development of China’s digital economy and for leading global data governance and cooperation. Deeply studying and implementing the spirit of these important expositions will powerfully advance the modernization of China’s data governance system, facilitate the structural upgrading of digital industries, and strengthen new driving forces for the development of the digital economy.
Looking toward the future, we must persist in and improve the fundamental principle of "the Party managing data" [14], stay firmly committed to the people-centered development philosophy, continuously improve the prevention and control system for data security risks, and unceasingly deepen international exchange and cooperation in data governance. Only in this way can we comprehensively advance data development and safeguard data security amidst the waves of the digital age, boosting the high-quality development of the economy and society, and laying a solid foundation for the great undertakings of building a strong country and national rejuvenation [15].
Author Biography: Mi Huaquan is an Associate Professor at the School of Marxism, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. Source: Marxism Studies (《马克思主义研究》), Issue 12, 2025. Editor: Hui Hui